Mr Holyoake Not Expressing Ideas

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31162, 12 September 1966, Page 14

Mr Holyoake Not Expressing Ideas

(From the London correspondent of "The Press’’)

LONDON, September 11. Mr Holyoake has made it clear that he will not be expressing his ideas for a possible compromise on the Rhodesian question among the Commonwealth Prime Ministers.

“Nobody's open to any compromise at all,” he said. “Tonight there is no sign of it—no scope for It.” Mr Wilson will speak again on Monday and then the conference is not expected to discuss Rhodesia until the difficult final stage of framing a communique. Mr Holyoake expected that some major degree of unanimity over a communique could be reached, although it would have to express the divergence of members' Opinions. Fifteen member nations favour the use of force to topple Mr Smith’s regime; seven are against it. Although Mr Holyoake has not found the atmosphere suitable to air his “ideas for compromise,” he says he is proud that he was the first to express counsels of moderation on Rhodesia, and that other speakers followed New Zealand's lead. Some commentators and members of other delegations have wondered at the way Mr Holyoake kept his cards closely to his chest, suggest, ing he had a trump—not necessarily a winner—but refusing to play it. The only real criticism of Mr Holyoake was from Sir Albert Margai, the President of Sierra Leone, who claimed that New Zealand had changed its position regarding the use of force in Rhodesia. He alleged conflict with statements by Sir Thomas Macdonald.

But Mr Holyoake replied tonight that there was no justification for Sir Albert Margai’s charges: Sir Thomas

Macdonald had emphasised the consistent New Zealand view that use of military force was not the right way to bring rebellion to an end. Mr Holyoake said he believed that he had been right to speak early and forcefully counselling moderation and avoidance of bloodshed . . . “however unpopular this may have sounded in the ears of some African delegates. I believe that in retrospect New Zealand’s stand will be respected as both courageous and right."